


I bet they'll never make it

by fheyiibannannie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Break Up, Harry is sorry, M/M, Niall is sorry too, because why not, over a phone call
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 12:38:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15194957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fheyiibannannie/pseuds/fheyiibannannie
Summary: He feels his knees shake, and Niall drops on the floor, the sting of tears on his eyes. Just when he feels like he's okay, but after a  goddamn phone call, he feels like he's back to start again.





	I bet they'll never make it

 

Post-show adrenaline is one thing Niall had trouble shaking off: the constant ringing in his ear and the thrumming underneath his skin. And he loves the feeling of satisfaction it brings him. 

 

Tonight, however, as he stepped off stage, watching his phone incessantly ringing, with a name he hasn't thought about in months, all he could feel was anger. Anger and resentment.

 

****

 

 He could be a total douche about it: leave it ringing till he gets tired and gets the hint that Niall doesn't want to talk to him. Or drink himself to oblivion so that he doesn't have to answer the goddamn call tonight. Maybe ever. 

 

 But as much as he hates it, he can't do that. Can't ever feel as much as wanting to cross Harry, no matter what happened (or not) between them. He's still his best mate, after all. With bated breath, he picked up, can already feel the sting of tears on his eyes. 

 

“' _Ni, hi._ ” ,Harry whispered, voice husky and almost unfamiliar. Almost. “ _Hi_.” ,he repeated, and Niall shakes his head, glad no one was there to see him biting his nails. It's a bad habit really, one he thinks he should stop. But he's nervous now, a feeling he didn't think he'd associate with Harry. Ever. 

 

“Haz hi.” ,he sighed, can't help the fondness seeping through his voice. Damn it. “How are you, H? You doing good?” ,he tried sounding casual, a loud contrast to how loud it is inside his brain. 

 

“ _Niall...”_ ,Harry breathed, and he can tell he's got few drinks, and he hates himself how he can still tell. “ _How're ya? Missed ya Irish mug._ ” ,Harry slurred further, and maybe he's way past tipsy, but Niall kept his mouth shut. Harry is a lightweight anyway. 

 

“Missed ya too, H.” ,he laughed, and he gives up lying to himself because really, he missed him. “Never have really congratulated you on your MSG shows.” ,he added, wanting to let Harry know that he means it.

 

 “ _The flowers you sent was good enough, twat. But I know what you mean._ ” ,Harry sighed. “ _and thank you. Means a lot._ ” ,he added as an after thought. 

 

 “Saw videos of you. You're so good, H. Born for this. Have I ever told you that?” ,Niall asked, and his attempt for casual went out of the window. Can never be too casual with Harry. Too much feelings involved. “Got the charisma to knock over an arena of people, you.” ,he mussed, and he can hear Harry's soft snort, making him smile. 

 

“ _Stooop._ ” ,Harry whispered, and Niall can feel the hold of this boy on his heart. God, he's pathetic. Been months since he talked to this guy, much longer since he last saw him. Doesn't mean he doesn't miss him. Because he does. There will always be a part of him that'll be attached to Harry. That's just the way things go. 

 

 “Really, H. Maybe doesn't mean much, coming from me-”

 

 “ _Shut it. You know it matters. More so from anyone._ ” ,Harry cut him off, his voice unwavering, like Niall will believe it if he says it with much force. He does so, anyway. “ _Where are you anyway?_ ” ,Harry asked “ _Back on tour, I guess?_ ” ,he added carefully, like he wants to know where he is without directly asking. 

 

 “Yeah. In Chile now, just got off a show. Crowd's been crazy, down here. Remember our first time in LatAm?” ,he asked and can hear Harry laughing softly.

 

 “ _How could I forget, man? Crowds of fans everywhere we go. Got proper police escorts and such._ ” , and he can hear the fondness seeping out of Harry's voice. “ _Good times, man._ ”

 

 “Yeah.” ,Niall chided. “Harry?” ,and he thinks he should ask now, gathers all the courage he needs, because he knows Harry, and he knows this call is more. Much more.

 

 “ _Didn't think you'd answer, to be honest._ ” ,Harry started, and oh, he knew what Niall was going to ask. Scary how they both still knew each other so well. “ _Almost dropped the call, with how shaky my hands were. You know how clumsy I am when I got few drinks in._ ” ,he mussed and Niall can feel himself agreeing because yeah, he does know. Witnessed it a few times for himself, too. 

 

 “ _Was so used to hearing your voicemail that I nearly sobbed when you picked up._ ” ,said Harry, the unmistakable hint of sadness was hard to miss, making Niall's chest hurt. He can hear Harry sniffling from the other line, a tell tale that he's about to cry, if not anything. “ _I'm so sorry I've been shitty with calling and---_ ”

 

 “Ah, not just you pet. Not just you.” ,he cut him off, the endearment slipping past his lips so easily. Like routine. “I'm sorry too, you know.” ,Niall sighed, the weight on his chest still heavy and make him feel like he's drowning. “We've all been so busy.” ,he chided, and yes, they all were. 

 

 “ _I'm so fucking sorry._ ” ,said Harry, a sob escaping from his lips, and Niall wishes he was with him instead, if just to help him stop crying. “ _I just--- I missed you so fucking much._ ” ,he added, sniffling in between.

 

 “Harry---”

 

 “ _And I know I've been the one to break this off, when I jumped on that yacht, but shit._ ” ,Harry seems to be having difficulties with how much he's sobbing, and he does know how to deal with a drunk, weepy, Styles. It's just been too long since he's presented one. So he's not on his element here. “ _Pains me looking at my phone and see photos and photos of you together._ ”

 

Ah... so _this_ is what it's about.

 

“Harry, you're not being fair.” ,Niall ends up saying, because he does want to tell him off, without sounding he IS telling Harry off. “Y-you can't do this...”

 

“ _Can't I?_ ” ,asked Harry, his laugh is just bordering sardonic. He hears a sigh after, and he imagine Harry berating himself, can even picture his face as he do so. “ _I'm sorry, Ni._ ” ,he said softly.

 

 “Are all the phone calls we'd be having, be always about this? About me moving on?” ,Niall needs to ask, and if he hears the sharp intake of breath from the other line, he tries to ignore it. Because yeah, he is moving on. He _needs_ to move on. 

 

 “Are we going to do this? Everytime you see me with someone that's not you, looking all happy?” ,he asked, a trace of anger in his voice, and he really doesn't wanna be cross with Harry, but his anger and hurt is surfacing again. He wants to stop, doesn't wanna hurt Harry ever, but his anger got the best of him. 

 

 “Am I going to expect more drunk calls from ya? More apologies from a choice you made 3 years ago? Give me a heads up here, H.” ,he sarcastically added, can never really stop when he starts. “Because we can't do this. Not anymore. I can only take so much.” ,he resigned, his anger replaced with deep sadness. 

 

Silence enveloped them, and not once this evening did Niall regrets taking the call. He can hear Harry's soft sniffle on the other line, like he's trying hard not to let the dam of tears break, not that he can lie to Niall. 

 

 “ _You know what's funny?_ ” ,asked Harry, soft, his voice gone rough. “ _We even have the same initials._ ” ,he can hear the dig on Harry's voice, and he has to close his eyes. 

 

 “What the fuck? You know I didn't do that on purpose!” ,Niall nearly yelled ,and he can hear the wet laugh from the other line. 

 

 “ _I know. You're not like that. I'm just being a twat._ ” ,said Harry. “ _It's just--- it's too late now, is it?_ ” ,he hears Harry asked, his voice so soft he was afraid he'd imagine it. 

 

 “I don't know what to tell you, H.” ,Niall mumbled, one of the first truths he'd dropped tonight. Because, he really doesn't know. 

 

 “ _Yeah? Thought so._ ” ,he can hear the tears through Harry's voice. Can feel the resignation, the goodbye. Like this is the closure they both needed. Only through a phone call. 

 

 “I'm so sorry, H.” ,and he means it. Never wishes ill to anyone, especially him, the only man Niall thinks he'd ever love. 

 

 “ _Me too, Niall. Me too._ ” ,and the line ended. 

 

 He feels his knees shake, and Niall drops on the floor, the sting of tears on his eyes. Just when he feels like he's okay, but after a  goddamn phone call, he feels like he's back to start again.

**Author's Note:**

> B y e e ee e e


End file.
